Rumoi Main Line

Rumoi Main Line
Rumoi Main Line
	A single KiHa 54 series DMU on the Rumoi Main Line in September 2011
Overview
Status	In operation
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Locale	JR Hokkaido
Termini	Fukagawa; Ishikari-Numata;
Stations	5
Service
Type	Regional rail
Operator(s)	JR Hokkaido
Rolling stock	KiHa 54 series DMU, KiHa 150 series DMU
History
Opened	23 October 1910
Closed	5 December 2016 (Rumoi–Mashike); 1 April 2023 (Ishikari-Numata–Rumoi) ; March 2026 (entire line) (planned)
Technical
Line length	14.4 km (8.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	95 km/h (59 mph)
Route map

The Rumoi Main Line (留萌るもい本線ほんせん, Rumoi-honsen) is a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which connects Fukagawa Station in Fukagawa and Ishikari-Numata Station in Numata. Following the discontinued service from Rumoi to Ishikari-Numata on April 1, the Rumoi Main Line is the shortest railway line in Japan, to be classified as a 'main line' at 14.4 kilometers.

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to further rationalize the network by up to 1,237 km (769 mi), or approximately 50% of the network,^[1] including closure of the remaining section of the Rumoi Main Line (the Rumoi to Mashike section closed on 5 December 2016). This section of track from Ishikari-Numata to Rumoi was closed on 1 April 2023, with the final train running on the 31 March 2023.

Stations[edit]

Stops legend: ●: All trains stop, ◆: some trains skip bidirectionally, ▼: some down trains skip

No.	Station name	Japanese	Between (km)	Distance (km)	Stop	Transfers	Location
A24	Fukagawa	深川ふかがわ		0.0	●	■ Hakodate Main Line	Fukagawa
	Kita-Ichiyan	北きた一已いつちゃん	3.8	3.8	▼		Fukagawa
	Chippubetsu	秩父別ちっぷべつ	5.0	8.8	▼		Chippubetsu, Uryū District
	Kita-Chippubetsu	北きた秩父別ちっぷべつ	2.4	11.2	◆		Chippubetsu, Uryū District
	Ishikari-Numata	石狩沼田いしかりぬまた	3.2	14.4	●		Numata, Uryū District

Closed section[edit]

Station name	Japanese	Between (km)	Distance (km)	Location
Mappu	真布まっぷ	3.4	17.8	Numata, Uryū District
Ebishima	恵比島えびしま	2.9	20.7	Numata, Uryū District
Tōgeshita	峠下とうげした	7.6	28.3	Rumoi
Horonuka	幌糠ほろぬか	6.2	34.5
Fujiyama	藤山ふじやま	5.5	40.0
Ōwada	大和田おおわだ	4.2	44.2
Rumoi	留萌るもい	5.9	50.1
Segoshi	瀬越せごし	2.1	52.2
Reuke	礼受れうけ	4.0	56.2
Afun	阿分あふん	1.3	57.5	Mashike, Mashike District
Nobusha	信しん砂すな	2.7	60.2
Shaguma	舎熊しゃぐま	0.8	61.0
Shumombetsu	朱しゅ文ぶん別べつ	1.7	62.7
Hashibetsu	箸はし別べつ	1.3	64.0
Mashike	増毛ましけ	2.8	66.8

History[edit]

The initial section of the line, between Fukagawa and Rumoi opened on 23 October 1910, and was extended to Mashike on 5 November 1921.^[2] The line was reclassified as a "main line" from 10 October 1931.^[2] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR Hokkaido.^[2]

Closure plans[edit]

On 10 August 2015, JR Hokkaido informed the mayors of Rumoi and Mashike of its plans to close the 16.7 km (10.4 mi) section of the line from Rumoi to Mashike in 2016.^[3] In April 2016, it was officially announced that the section from Rumoi to Mashike would close, and the last service operated on 4 December of that year.^[4]

The 4 towns and cities along the remaining line, Rumoi, Numata, Chippubetsu and Fukagawa were in discussion with JR Hokkaido regarding the line's future, but Rumoi left the group as the city was already well-equipped so they didn't see keeping the railway open as necessary.

In September 2022, JR Hokkaido submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to close an additional 35.7 km (22.2 mi) between Ishikari-Numata and Rumoi.^[5]^[6] As the closure was approved on 9 December 2022,^[7] the end of service was announced for 31 March 2023, and the closure occurred on 1 April 2023.^[8]^[9]

The remaining 14.4 km (8.9 mi) section to Fukagawa is slated to be closed in March 2026.^[6]

References[edit]

^ "JR Hokkaido says it can't maintain half of its railways". 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場ていしゃじょう変遷へんせん大だい辞典じてん国鉄こくてつ・JR編へん [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. pp. 83, 129. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ 留萌るもい線せん（留萌るもい～増毛ましけ間あいだ）の鉄道てつどう事業じぎょう廃止はいしについて [Closure of Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
^ ＪＲ留萌るもい線せん留萌るもい―増毛ましけ間あいだ１２月がつ４日にちに廃止はいし増毛ましけ町まちが同意どうい [Mashike agrees to closure of JR Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike on 4 December]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^ "JR北海道ほっかいどう，留萌るもい本線ほんせん石狩沼田いしかりぬまた—留萌るもい間あいだの鉄道てつどう事業じぎょう廃止はいし届とどけを提出ていしゅつ" [JR Hokkaido Rumoi Main Line Ishikari-Numata - Rumoi service discontinuation proposal submitted]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
^ ^a ^b "留萌るもい本線ほんせん「一部いちぶ廃止はいし」来春らいしゅんにも JR北海道ほっかいどうが国交こっこう相しょうに届出とどけで、残のこる区間くかんも3年ねん半はん後ごまで" [Rumoi Main Line "Partially abolished": JR Hokkaido will notify the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism next spring, and the remaining section will be closed 3 and a half years later]. news.railway-pressnet.com (in Japanese). 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
^ "留萌るもい本線ほんせんの一部いちぶ廃止はいし「来年らいねん4月がつ1日にち」確定かくてい朝あさドラ『すずらん』明日あした萌もえ駅えきも消滅しょうめつ | 鉄道てつどうニュース【鉄道てつどうプレスネット】" (in Japanese). 9 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
^ "鉄道てつどう事業じぎょうの一部いちぶ廃止はいしの日ひを繰くり上あげる届出とどけでについて" (PDF). 国土こくど交通省こうつうしょう北海道ほっかいどう運輸うんゆ局きょく鉄道てつどう部ぶ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
^ "留萌るもい線せん（石狩沼田いしかりぬまた・留萌るもい間あいだ）の廃止はいし日び繰上くりあげの届出とどけでについて" (PDF). 北海道旅客鉄道ほっかいどうりょかくてつどう. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.

[1] "JR Hokkaido says it can't maintain half of its railways". 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[teishajo1998-2] Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場ていしゃじょう変遷へんせん大だい辞典じてん国鉄こくてつ・JR編へん [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. pp. 83, 129. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.

[hobidas20150810-3] 留萌るもい線せん（留萌るもい～増毛ましけ間あいだ）の鉄道てつどう事業じぎょう廃止はいしについて [Closure of Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

[doshin20160408-4] ＪＲ留萌るもい線せん留萌るもい―増毛ましけ間あいだ１２月がつ４日にちに廃止はいし増毛ましけ町まちが同意どうい [Mashike agrees to closure of JR Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike on 4 December]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.

[5] "JR北海道ほっかいどう，留萌るもい本線ほんせん石狩沼田いしかりぬまた—留萌るもい間あいだの鉄道てつどう事業じぎょう廃止はいし届とどけを提出ていしゅつ" [JR Hokkaido Rumoi Main Line Ishikari-Numata - Rumoi service discontinuation proposal submitted]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.

[:0-6] "留萌るもい本線ほんせん「一部いちぶ廃止はいし」来春らいしゅんにも JR北海道ほっかいどうが国交こっこう相しょうに届出とどけで、残のこる区間くかんも3年ねん半はん後ごまで" [Rumoi Main Line "Partially abolished": JR Hokkaido will notify the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism next spring, and the remaining section will be closed 3 and a half years later]. news.railway-pressnet.com (in Japanese). 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.

[:1-7] "留萌るもい本線ほんせんの一部いちぶ廃止はいし「来年らいねん4月がつ1日にち」確定かくてい朝あさドラ『すずらん』明日あした萌もえ駅えきも消滅しょうめつ | 鉄道てつどうニュース【鉄道てつどうプレスネット】" (in Japanese). 9 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.

[8] "鉄道てつどう事業じぎょうの一部いちぶ廃止はいしの日ひを繰くり上あげる届出とどけでについて" (PDF). 国土こくど交通省こうつうしょう北海道ほっかいどう運輸うんゆ局きょく鉄道てつどう部ぶ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.

[9] "留萌るもい線せん（石狩沼田いしかりぬまた・留萌るもい間あいだ）の廃止はいし日び繰上くりあげの届出とどけでについて" (PDF). 北海道旅客鉄道ほっかいどうりょかくてつどう. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.

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v t e Mass transit in Hokkaido
JR Hokkaido lines	Hokkaido Shinkansen ■■ Chitose ■ Furano ■■■ Hakodate ■ Hidaka ■ Kaikyō ■■ Muroran ■■ Nemuro ■ Rumoi ■ Sasshō ■ Sekihoku ■ Sekishō ■ Senmō ■ Sōya
JR named trains	Hayabusa Hayate Hokuto Kamui Kitami Lilac Okhotsk Ōzora Sarobetsu Sōya Suzuran Taisetsu Tokachi
Discontinued JR named trains	Cassiopeia Hakuchō Hamanasu Ishikari Super Hakuchō Super White Arrow Twilight Express White Arrow
Sapporo Municipal Subway	Namboku Line Tōzai Line Tōhō Line
Other railways	South Hokkaido Railway Company Hakodate Streetcar Sapporo Streetcar Taiheiyō Coal (freight only)
Terminals	Rail Hakodate Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Sapporo Ōdōri Shin-Sapporo Asahikawa Airports Asahikawa New Chitose Hakodate Kushiro Memanbetsu Monbetsu Nakashibetsu Okadama Okushiri Rishiri Tokachi–Obihiro Wakkanai Ports Hakodate Otaru Tomakomai Kushiro
Public Ferries	Heart Land Ferry (ja) (Wakkanai—N. Islands) Silver Ferry (Tomakomai—Hachinohe) Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry (Hakodate—Aomori) Seikan Ferry (Hakodate—Aomori) Shin Nihonkai Ferry MOL Ferry Taiheiyō Ferry Haboro-Enkai Ferry (ja) (Haboro—Yagishiri Island)
Miscellaneous	Cards Kitaca SAPICA Tunnels Seikan Tunnel
Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)